The typical agricultural material baler makes use of a mechanical compaction chamber and a metal discharge chute for forming and discharging cut vegetation in compressed bales. The bales are typically discharged directly in the field from which the material has been cut, or are deposited through the chute directly to a stacking mechanism.
Resistance to movement through the chute is influenced by the condition of the material being baled and the chute walls. Rusted chute wall surfaces increase friction and adversely affect baler performance. Moisture on the chute surfaces also adds inconsistency to frictional resistance, as does moisture in the materials being baled. Fluctuations in outside air temperature further influence frictional resistance to crop movement along the chute walls. Such inconsistencies are undesirable, and result in equally undesirable, inconsistent bales.
Other factors also influence baler performance. For example, a wet crop will bale differently in the same baler than the same crop when dry. Likewise, a dusty crop will bale differently than a clean crop. Weeds or other foreign materials in the crop also affect baler performance. Such crop inconsistencies and still other variables, such as tractor speed, terrain, and windrow consistency all affect baler performance by producing differing drag characteristics through the baler compression chamber and chute.
Inconsistent friction in baler discharge chutes can cause operational power requirements to grow, increase downtime, reduce the useful life of the baler, and reduce fuel efficiency. Further, it is difficult and time consuming to pick up and stack inconsistent bales, even if they retain their structural integrity to some degree.
It is of interest to note that many baler manufacturers, while providing balers with adjustments for bale length, string or wire tension, and compaction, have failed to recognize the need to lower, consistent friction along the walls of the compaction chamber and discharge chutes. Adjustments are provided in a variety of ways to enable adjustment of compression by selectively adjusting the space between discharge chute walls, but no provision has been made to lower frictional resistance along such walls. A need has thus remained for baler chutes with consistently low friction discharge chute walls.